BOYS SOCCER PREVIEW: Wilmot to lean on senior laden team

After finishing at the bottom of the Southern Lakes Conference last season, the Wilmot boys soccer team looks to take a step in the right direction in 2018 under second year coach Tim Stewart.

“I came in very cerebral and they weren’t ready for that,” said Stewart, whose team went winless last year. “I was expecting a more early ‘buy in’, which I didn’t have and I had to work hard. This team has that.”

Of the leading returners, Wilmot brings back 300 plus save goalie Mason Moravectz.

The team also brings back 12 seniors, including Josh Moldenhauer, Preston Edie, and Joe Davis.

“I think the seniors will have to take charge and that we will be a lot better than last year,” Moravectz said. “We’ll be more cohesive and we’ll put a much better season together because we had that year to get used to Coach Stewart and that his plan for us will be more suited for our team.”

Stewart added that with his seniors that he has a lot of speed on his team.

“The senior core is strong, and we have built a formation off of who we are,” Steward said of his seniors. “Not trying to have them play in a formation just because it is the norm, and they have learned it really well, active and hard-working, so I am looking forward to a positive season.”

Wilmot, which finished 0-8 in the competitive SLC in 2017, looks to get more wins and get into the middle of the pack this season.

“This conference is loaded with players and with teams that have a lot of club level players,” Stewart said. “We are expecting a competitive conference as always, but I think our grittiness, determination, and teamwork is going to make us shine.”